17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
21st May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Church, government, business: a climate change alliance
This week I attended an important conference at the Pontifical Santa Croce University, on “The New Climate Economy. How Economic Growth and Sustainability Can Go Hand in Hand”. It was jointly organised by the Dutch Embassy to the Holy See and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and brought together leading political figures, business […]
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21st May 2015 Canberra, Australia
Getting to know you
It’s been over a month since I arrived with my family in Australia; and it’s been busy! I’ve been investing time in getting to know the country and have travelled 6,500 miles in the last two weeks, shuttling between Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. I’ve met our fantastic ‘UK in Australia’ team spread across […]
20th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
El sueño de lograr un mundo libre de discriminación
Para marcar el Día Internacional Contra la Homofobia, Transfobia y Bifobia la Embajadora Sarah Dickson le pidió a Jorge López Sologaistoa, Director Ejecutivo de OASIS escribir este blog acerca de la situación en Guatemala. Pueden conocer más acerca de este tema en http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/es/ : “En un sentido muy estricto, la homofobia es entendida como una […]
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20th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The dream of achieving a world free of discrimination
To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Ambassador Dickson asked Jorge López Sologaistoa, Executive Director of OASIS to comment on the situation in Guatemala. You can also learn more about this issue here http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/ – also available in Spanish: http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/es/ . “In a very strict sense, homophobia is understood as an obsessive […]
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20th May 2015 Los Angeles, USA
Microalgae Mission to USA
Slimy isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of Phoenix, Arizona. But in March, 13 delegates from the UK had a chance to view Arizona State University’s amazing selection of ponds – and green slime. ASU’s facility is just one of five algae testbeds in the US as part of the […]
19th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A Commemoration in Comana
On Sunday 10 May I headed out of Bucharest to the tranquil wetlands of the Neajlov Delta south of the city. With representatives of the local community, an Embassy group took a boat through channels framed by rushes and yellow irises to a large billboard, emerging out of the water and backed by reeds. The […]
19th May 2015 Bangalore, India
From neutrons to node and space
Like always, the last three months at UK SIN has been quite hectic. In January, I visited the ISIS pulsed neutron and muon source in Harwell, Oxfordshire, a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences, owned by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. I was also there to witness the signing […]
19th May 2015 Bangalore, India
Catalysing collaboration between UK and Indian space sectors
On 10 March Bangalore played host to a RiffStream# event focusing on developing commercial opportunities between UK and India players in the space sector. It was my first experience of using RiffStream# methodology where the event is designed to be high-energy and interactive ‘experiences’. Having joined the SIN team in India in March this workshop […]
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19th May 2015 Oslo, Norway
Syttende Mai
Although I have now been in Norway for a few months, I always knew that my “induction” would not be complete until I had experienced Grunnlovsdagen on the Seventeenth of May. Despite hearing and reading a lot about the significance of Constitution Day, Sunday’s festivities exceeded my already high expectations. The photographs look great. They […]
17th May 2015 Havana, Cuba
Homophobia and transphobia – a battle we share
The Conga Cubana against Homophobia and Transphobia held in Havana on 9 May was a riot of colour and noise. With whistles, banners, flags and hand-written signs, about 1500 people marched up 23rd Street calling for their rights to be respected. I was honoured to be invited and to attend and was impressed by what […]
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